


Where Kris may not like 'taoris' because he likes Tao

by Kashi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kashi/pseuds/Kashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Kris is annoyed over the whole Taoris nonsense and everyone is most decidedly unhelpful except for Tao.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where Kris may not like 'taoris' because he likes Tao

 “I think Kris ge is the best leader in the world!” There’s a peal of laugher at the Stylist noona’s near perfect imitation of Tao’s earnest tone and Kris who’d just walked in, tried very hard not to turn red at having overheard the staff make fun of Tao’s interview...again.

He’d have nearly managed to get away with it if only for Han Ye ah, who after a final touch up on his hair, caught his eyes in the mirror and said good naturedly: “People are just having a little fun with the fact that Tao has a crush on you, Kris. You shouldn’t really worry about it.”

He’d been so flustered, he’d only managed to splutter a ‘thank you’ and not deny with the vehemence it deserved that Tao _did not_ have a crush on him!

“Tao _does not_ have a crush on me!”

Which is why, Kris was now denying it with all the vehemence it deserved. He was sprawled on Luhan’s bed, fiddling with his Rubik’s cube. He could never solve the stupid thing and yet he was always fiddling with it around Luhan.  Stupid cube and stupid Luhan.

Stupid Luhan, who, from the bits and pieces of the rapid Korean Kris could make out, seemed more intent on coordinating colour with Sehun for their next big gig than helping Kris out.

“Think of it as fan service if it makes you feel any better.” Luhan, finally done with his phone call, clambered on to the bed and poked Kris’ giant frame to make place for him.

“But that’s not the point. Fan service is fine but Tao does not...”

“Tao has a massive time stopping earth shattering crush on you, Kris” Luhan cut in, flicking the Rubik’s cube out of his hand. He looked at it for a moment critically before beginning to set it right all the while talking.

“It’s very obvious. It’s so obvious that our international fans don’t even need subtitles to get what he’s trying to say when he looks at you.”

Kris opened his mouth to argue but then shut up when Luhan with a final swirl and click tossed the now perfectly aligned cube back at Kris.

“It’s just a harmless crush. Why are you so bothered by it?” Luhan was looking at him like he was some Rubik’s cube which had got all its colour grids wrong.

Stupid cube and stupid Luhan. Kris thought viciously even as he doesn’t answer Luhan’s question.

                                

* * *

 

 

Kris isn’t completely obtuse. He knows Tao likes him quite a bit...a lot even. Tao has talents in tons and like everyone else deserves to be part of Exo but his training had been on fast track. He’d had far less time to get used to being an Idol trainee that too in a foreign country. Kris had felt protective towards the awkward younger boy and alright so he might have had some delusions of doing the whole Korean hyung- dongsae taking under the wing thing. It hadn’t been very difficult really; right from the start, they’d become good friends.

Which still wasn’t enough to explain the whole Taoris nonsense; he knew he shouldn’t care. After all, he’d been a SM trainee for five years; he’d seen how it was for the others. It was all very absurd and yet very important. The fans loved the bromance and it was all just fan service after all.

But that was just it. Kris didn’t think Tao got the whole fan service bit. In his stupid earnestness, he was probably being nice to Kris without realizing what he was doing.

The truth was Kris didn’t really care about the Taoris stuff. He was just worried for Tao.

 

Xiumin was even less helpful than Luhan.

 “I think you should be worried for yourself.” Xiumin was painstakingly tracing the lettering on the chocolate bar. “So does “standard serving” in mandarin amount to less than what it means in Korean?” he asked hopefully.

At Kris’ pointed stare, Xiumin put the bar down, patted it fondly and leaned back on the kitchen chair, as if it was a good idea to put physical distance between him and the chocolate. Kris had seen worse (because apparently talking to food that you were not going to eat was perfectly acceptable) and so he only waited patiently.

“You should be worried, because if you really, actually, no like really, do not like Tao, he might just wushu you.” Xiumin said seriously.

Kris stared. Maybe his brain was playing tricks on him and Xiumin was actually speaking mandarin and not Korean and therefore not making sense at all; which would have been perfectly logical under the circumstances.

“I mean don’t get me wrong.” Xiumin

* * *

said defensively. “I like Tao. He’s a great kid but he has that wushu serial killer thing going on and Chen is so freaked out by him...”

“Wait...Chen is freaked out by...Tao?” “Come to think of it, Chen had been extremely fidgety the last few days even with him. Kris was leader. He was _supposed_ to know things like this and then... do something about it.

 “Oh...that. Slight translation glitch; Chen may or may not have been led to believe that Tao is angry with him for being too touchy feely with you.”

Xiumin isn’t even the slightest bit apologetic at Kris expression. “What? I mean I like Tao, he’s a great kid but he has that wushu serial killer possessive boyfriend vibe rolling...hey...where you going?” even as Kris stormed off.

It’s only later when he runs into Chen, who literally bolts when Kris tries to talk to him, that he’s extra glad that he’d stolen Xiumin’s chocolate stash.

                                                

Kris had known the person he should be asking for help really is Lay. Lay’s the one with the entire dependable practical solid leader like qualities which Kris was always scampering to emulate. They’d long ago fallen into a pattern. Lay, freakishly blessed, was happier playing the second in command role to perfection and laughing at Kris when he messed up. And Kris was glad for all the help and spent most of his time part threatening, part begging Lay.

“Lay, you cannot, absolutely cannot tell anyone else” Kris said hurriedly even as Lay continued to laugh at him.

They’d stayed back after their group practise so that Kris could listen to one of Lay’s new composition. At least, that had been Kris’ excuse, so that he could spring his plea for help.

“So now you need my help to distract people from what’s going on between you and Tao?”

“There is nothing going on between Tao and me” Kris said icily.

“Right, I believe you.” Lay’s voice is carefully devoid of complete and utter conviction.

Kris only hoped that Lay would have the sense to not blurt it out on television.

                                               

* * *

 

 “Kris ge” the voice is soft but just too obviously Tao for Kris not to stop short and have a full blown panic attack. Practise for the day was over, and he’d thought as the only one left behind he could treat himself to a long hot shower at the dance studio. At home, Luhan would have invariably used up all the hot water, and someone or the other would be banging at the bathroom door asking him to hurry.

All of which would have been infinitely better than being caught in the locker room by Tao.

He half turns to shoot a “hey didn’t see you there. Oh there you are Tao” sort of wave but he can feel Tao’s very expectant look right through his back and he finally turns properly to face him.

 “Kris ge,” Tao repeats again, “Why are you avoiding me?”

Blunt, direct and straight to the gut. Then again Tao has the tendency of unnerving Kris completely.

 “I am not avoiding you.” Kris blurts out the denial before he’s thought it through. He’s lying and he tries to fake a smile and it’s even worse than the one that he tries to pull at interviews. “I mean...what? Why are you even asking that? Why would you think that? I’ve just been busy...”

He expects Tao to get angry. Hell, Kris probably deserves to be wushu-ed (he decides to stay pissed at Xiumin that much longer for that thought). He isn’t really prepared for Tao to be so visibly hurt by his words. He looks for all the world like he’d been slapped and Kris is so taken aback that he stutters to a stop.

“I...” Tao says finally. “I just want you to know that I never wanted to bother you. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I...just really... but never mind, it was stupid.”

“I’ll go now,” Tao’s turning to leave, not meeting Kris’ eyes even once and Kris knows - feels that he’s messed up horribly and if he doesn’t stop Tao now, somehow nothing would be right ever again.

Tao is clearly upset and it’s enough for Kris to forget that he has to be uncomfortable. On instinct he pulls Tao into a hug, smoothes his hand over his hair and murmurs apologies into his ears. That Tao could never bother him and Tao had clearly got that wrong and that it was his fault; his own bloody fault. That he’d...he didn’t know how to deal with people teasing him and he’d overreacted and acted like an ass.

 “But I like you. I like you,” Kris says and it strikes him that he’s unwittingly confessing between all the blabber and more importantly, it’s true.

Tao doesn’t say anything as he pulls out of the hug, his hands holding Kris’ arms. His eyes are wet and serious as he looks at Kris as if he’s searching for something. Kris is still babbling, trying to say whatever it is that would reassure Tao and he’d have continued, if not for Tao who suddenly pulls him close and arches upwards to kiss him.

“So he does like me!” The thought probably overwhelms Kris, more than the kiss, which is awkward. Tao is fumbling and nervous and tense, like he expects to be hit at any moment, and yet he’s determined to put himself out there anyway. It’s a good thing, that Kris finds it endearing and sweet and oh so hot especially when he slides a hand around Tao’s waist to pull him closer and tilts his head at a better angle to kiss Tao deeper.

Still, it’s Kris that breaks off the kiss with a surprised whelp, his hand moving to clutch at Tao’s which had begin to fiddle with the knot of Kris’ towel. Tao blushes a tad bit but he smiles disarmingly at Kris. And Kris wants to hit him for being so open. While Kris would rather bury his feelings under a ton of denial and obtuseness, Tao is aggravatingly honest about all his emotions.

As Tao curls his fingers around the knot, scrapping at Kris abdomen, using it as leverage to pull Kris into another kiss, Kris finds that he doesn’t mind it all that much.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: first wonky exo fic . I just really really wanted to write Taoris. :) Let me know what you think?


End file.
